Super League: Castleford Tigers 36-24 Salford Red Devils - Cas get first win of season

Four tries from Innes Senior ensured Castleford Tigers tasted Super League victory for the first time in 2024, with a win over Salford Red Devils.

Tigers led at the break with Senior's double and Sam Hall's try out-scoring Salford, who replied through Ryan Brierley and Tim Lafai.

Senior helped himself to two more and Brad Martin also powered across as Cas maintained their grip on the game.

Brierley and Nene Macdonald added tries for Salford, but Cas were not denied.

This was the perfect tonic for Castleford after a sobering week where prop George Lawler was admitted to hospital with a bleed on the brain.

Their first win in seven games came despite the loss of talismanic hooker Paul McShane to a tight hamstring in the warm-up and prop Liam Watts to a failed head injury assessment during the first half.

Senior's thrilling four tries were classic wing-play, interweaving devastating pace and sublime footwork, as well as picking up a perfect kick from half-back Jacob Miller.

Martin's try, on a rare introduction, saw his bulldozing run through the Salford defence rewarded with points, and Hall was similarly full of intent for his four-pointer.

For Salford boss Paul Rowley this was a missed opportunity to put themselves level on 10 points with the top five sides, and comes as a fierce contrast to excellent results they have achieved against St Helens and Hull KR this term.

When they were good they were superb - Brierley twice backing up breaks to score at pace while Lafai and Macdonald tries were the result of sharp hands and steamrolling line-breaks.

However, when Cas upped the tempo towards the end the Red Devils failed to cope defensively with the energy, and saw the game slip away.

Castleford boss Craig Lingard:

"How good is it to see a winger scoring tries? Just pinning his ears back and backing himself. I think maybe he's been a little bit guilty of not doing that in the past.

"But I think the way that he's played for us so far this season, the way that he played tonight and the confidence and belief that he showed that once he's got a bit of a gap he can put that pedal down and finish."

On George Lawler's condition

"Sport takes a backseat when you're talking about the health of an individual. We'll do all we can for George and support him."

Salford boss Paul Rowley:

"We got what we deserved. It's a new experience coming here as favourites. The disappointment is from our performance.

"They were very enthusiastic and very good and deserved the win. Our performance was way off."

Castleford: Broadbent; Simm, Hodson, Wood, Senior; Richardson, Miller; Hall, McShane, Watts, Mellor, El-Zakhem, Westerman.

Interchanges: Horne, Namo, Martin, Kibula.

Salford: Brierley; Nofoaluma, Macdonald, Lafai, Cross; Cust, Sneyd; Ormondroyd, Bourouh, Wright, Stone, Watkins, Partington.

Interchanges: Vuniyayawa, Atkin, Shorrocks, Mellor.

Referee: Chris Kendall (RFL)